GDOE superintendent backs 20% use‑tax funding for school repairs but warns Head Start language risks federal funding

Superintendent Wompat urged the General Government Operations and Appropriations committee to approve a proposal that would dedicate 20% of use‑tax revenues to the Guam Department of Education to address an estimated $110,000,000 deferred‑maintenance backlog.

Wompat told lawmakers that the measure would let the department move "from crisis management to strategic asset management," enabling predictable capital improvements and ongoing maintenance instead of episodic repairs. "If we do not establish consistent maintenance cycles now, the deferred maintenance backlog will continue to grow beyond our ability to manage it," she said.

But Wompat also urged lawmakers to remove a clause that "appropriates funds for 'early childhood development aligned with Head Start,'" saying the phrasing could create federal supplanting risks. She outlined federal funding streams she said could be jeopardized — Head Start (about $5,000,000 annually), the Personal Responsibility Education Program (about $250,000), and consolidated‑grant mental‑health support (about $1,690,000) — which she summarized as "nearly $6,949,400" in federal funds at risk if a supplanting determination were made.

"The federal Head Start program strictly prohibits supplanting," Wompat said, adding that federal reviewers could interpret duplication or funding shifts as supplanting and that the department faces enrollment pressures that already threaten Head Start slots. She described Head Start as "a comprehensive child development program" that provides health screening, nutrition, family engagement and early intervention services for ages 0–3 and said losing the program would disproportionately harm low‑income families.

Senator Sabina Flores Perez, the chair, responded that it "definitely was not my intent to supplant" and, after hearing Wompat's concerns, told the committee, "Consider it deleted," indicating she would remove the Head Start alignment language to avoid unintended federal compliance consequences.

Committee members asked follow‑up questions about prioritizing maintenance versus curriculum spending, contingency planning for fluctuating use‑tax receipts, and how GDOE would deploy funds once available. Wompat said maintenance should be a majority of the allocation and recommended earmarking funds for capital improvement projects and ADA compliance identified in a Siemens report.

Senator Gumatata cited CRER figures showing FY2025 use‑tax collections of $5,836,858, about $3,433,774 less than the $9,270,632 adopted level, and reviewed statutory set‑asides that already allocate portions of use tax to other agencies. Gumatata also referenced an Office of Public Accountability oversight report noting GDOE had substantial unliquidated federal balances (including $12,100,000), and asked how the department plans to maximize future use‑tax revenue while protecting federal funding.

Wompat said ARP funds used for school renovations are nearly exhausted and stressed the urgency of creating a reliable, ongoing funding stream to sustain maintenance and CIP work. She told senators GDOE's current preliminary budget is about $307,000,000 (excluding certain pilot programs) and that recruitment of Chamorro language teachers remains a challenge.

The chair asked Wompat to resubmit testimony clarifying the department's support and opposition points and confirmed staff would prepare amendments. With no vote taken, the chair closed the hearing and stated that Bill 126‑38 was "duly heard." The committee invited further written testimony to Senator Sabina Flores Perez's office.

Next steps: the committee will consider amendments in markup; committee members indicated they expect language changes to remove explicit Head Start alignment and seek additional federal guidance before advancing that section.